Wintertime fishermen seeking game fish through ice-crust holes desire ice fishing tip-up apparatus that is readily erectable and operationally reliably at the frigid fishing site, that is compactly nestably transportable between fishing sites or to interim storage, and that is functionally durable throughout frequent usages over several Winter seasons. These desires are repeatedly expressed, though not only actually attainable in all respects, by prior art workers. Even very recent prior art, such as in U. S. Pat. No. 4,567,686 (Akom-2/4/1986), continues to utilize structural components that are unduly expensive and complicated to erect into operational form, that are not operationally reliable under diverse frigid fishing conditions, that are not readily compactly storeable and transportable, and that are not sufficiently durable and repairable over several Winter seasons.